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Iraq: Iran

Volume 493: debated on Thursday 11 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to Iraqi authorities on the security of the residents of Ashraf City. (278967)

Our ambassador in Baghdad called on the Iraqi Human Rights Minister, Wijdan Salim, on 13 April 2009 this year to raise the issue of Camp Ashraf and make her aware of the level of interest in this issue in the UK. We took the opportunity to remind her of the Government of Iraq’s earlier assurances towards the proper treatment of the residents of Ashraf. In addition, officials at our embassy in Baghdad have undertaken consular visits to Camp Ashraf to clarify whether any residents qualified for UK consular assistance.

The Iraqi Government have made assurances that no Ashraf residents will be forcibly transferred to a country where they have reason to fear persecution, or where substantial grounds exist to believe they would be tortured.